One year of the Abbott Government: one big lie to auto workers

“I want to see car-making survive in this country, not just survive but flourish.”

TONY ABBOTT – PRESS CONFERENCE, BRISBANE – 21 AUGUST 2013

Since then, the Government has not only turned its back on Australian car makers, it has also turned its back on 50,000 Australians who will lose their jobs, saying –

"Some of them will find it difficult, but many of them will probably be liberated to pursue new opportunities and to get on with their lives…"

TONY ABBOTT – PRESS CONFERENCE, CANBERRA – 18 DECEMBER 2013

Labor defies Mr Abbott to find a single automotive worker who will feel “liberated” at the thought of losing their job.

And despite the fact that Tony Abbott has said he wants to “deliver support for the workers” the paltry $100 million the Abbott Government has committed to their so-called growth fund for the auto industry doesn’t include a single cent to help auto workers retrain and reskill.

The Government’s own website confirms that the element of the growth fund allocated to retrain auto workers is made up entirely of contributions from GM Holden and Toyota.

The Commonwealth has not contributed any funding in the growth fund to auto workers. This is a gross betrayal and further evidence of the Abbott Government’s contempt for blue collar jobs.

Car workers have been deceived by this government. They will lose their jobs and the Abbott Government is doing less than the bare minimum assist them.

Just as worrying is the devastating impact on the small business operators who now risk losing their business and life savings.

This is yet another one of Abbott’s lies and another failure on the part of Liberal National Coalition Members and Senators to stand up for their communities.